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Random Germany question: if I buy Christmas ornaments at the markets, how much of a hassle is it to find packing materials and ship them home? Anyone done this?

Is 2 nights doable for Venice? I really don't want to cut it entirely but I'm not sure if I want to take another night away from Rome. Especially since I've gathered weather can be unpredictable. Gondola ride, yes or no? Assuming that is not just a summer thing. I realize it's touristy but I think it would be an interesting POV of Venice.

Should I take a train from Munich to Venice or fly? I'm thinking of buying a German rail pass which looks like it would cover my train to Venice but only if I take a certain train. Haven't quite figured it out yet. There are so many domestic flight companies- are there any that I should definitely avoid?

Is Florence doable somewhere? I really wanted to see Michelangelo's David as that's one of those iconic artworks I studied in high school, but I'm not sure if it's advisable to try to fit it in.

Do you have any recommendations for any companies that do excellent walking tours of Rome or Venice in English?

Should I try to eat out on Christmas Eve and Day or should I count on cooking at my hostel? Would the Jewish quarter be a good bet for either/both days?

Are there any historical sites or museums that I should have advance tickets for other than the Vatican and the coliseum? If so, how far in advance should I do that?

Right now I really don't have anything definitive in mind except Christmas Mass and wandering around. Not a fan of Rick Steves but the library had his European Christmas book and I rather liked the idea of seeing all the different nativity scenes. Il presepe? Are there any particular ones I should definitely see? Where are they generally in the churches?

Any things unique to Italy that I haven't mentioned and should be aware of?

I'm not sure what's worrying you about Rome. If you want a brief look at Florence, you can stop there en route to Rome. Leave Venice early, drop your bags at the left-luggage facility in the station, and walk to the Accademia, passing by the Duomo, for sure.

I also recommend having a look at Santa Maria Novella, which is right next to the station, and has several iconic works of art, the beautiful frescoes in the Tornabuoni Chapel, and a lovely cloister. And, if you haven't already bought enough gifts, stop at the Antica Officina di Santa Maria Novella, a historic pharmacy, which sells all sorts of lovely creams and lotions, as well as teas and herbal concoctions. It's rather expensive, but a little of their "Crema Fluida Relax" goes a long way, and I'm never without it. There's also a tea room, which is not quite as expensive, relatively, as the lotions.

If you don't want to stop on your way to Rome, you could take a day trip to Florence from Rome.

In Rome, you'll find plenty of restaurants open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Some have big set-menu meals which require advance reservation. It's too early for details. If that's not what you want, there are also informal places open. The Jewish Ghetto is one place where you'll find restaurants open, but it's certainly not the only place.

Presepi can be anywhere in a church, or even in an adjacent space, like the sacresty. There has been for a good many years now a display of over 100 presepi in the Piazza del Popolo, which is open even on Christmas day.

Another thing you could see on Christmas Day (in the morning) is the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, near Termini station, built in a portion of the ruins of the enormous ancient Roman Baths of Diocletian. Michelangelo mostly designed the Basilica, although others participated. They usually have a short organ concert on Christmas, on their famous organ, between the 10:30 and the 12:00 mass.

If you plan to attend the Midnight Mass at St. Peter's, be sure to request tickets well in advance.

Also, since transportation shuts down around 9 PM, be sure to stay within walking distance of St. Peter's. The Campo de' Fiori or Piazza Navona areas are not too far away.

Transportation is also infrequent on Christmas day. There is some bus service in the morning and late afternoon, with a 3-hour pause beginning usually at 1 PM. The metro shuts down for the day at 1 PM. (This is what has happened in past years, but check again in December.) If you want to do anything that's not near where you're staying, do it in the morning, or walk.

Thank you. Very helpful. Will definitely check out those lotions! I'm not sure what worries me about Rome either lol. Maybe it's just that I don't speak Italian and I find the idea of making restaurant reservations rather intimidating. I'm afraid of only finding expensive set menus or something like McDonald's as my only options (that's generally what I'd find open here Christmas Day).

On the subject of 2 nights for Venice, I think the main issue is your arrival time if you leave Munich on the 21st and take the train. There's one direct train daily (per Man In Seat 61) and you'd get to Venice at 6:10 PM, so your first day is pretty nonexistent. A second night gives you only one full day. I made my first trip to Venice last month and had three nights with two full days, a brief taste. Both my fiance and I agreed that one day would not have worked at all (his original idea) based on our experience of the city.

The easiest solutions are:

-fly instead of train: I would recommend leaving Munich the night of the 20th, take the Lufthansa/Air Dolomiti flight at 7:10 PM arriving Venice 8:10 PM, so you have two full days the 21st and the 22nd

-take a day from somewhere else and add to Venice

-via train, leave Munich at night on the 20th, and do the overnight train that will arrive in Venice at 8:34 AM on the 21st, so you have most of the 21st and all of the 22nd

I'm not one to say "if you don't have 5 days or a week, don't go at all" and I've done quick 3 and 4 nights trips to major cities before, but one full day seems insufficient for Venice IMO.

All left-luggage facilities are manned in Italy. Lockers were banned long ago as a security measure. In Rome, the left luggage facility charges €6 per bag for the first five hours. I think that's about typical. It might even be the same service (Ki-point) in all the large stations.

All of the restaurants in central Rome have employees who speak fairly good English. If you're going to the Midnight Mass, you probably don't want a big dinner on Christmas Eve. (You don't want to doze off during the Mass!) I'm sure that if you eat on the early side, you'll find lots of places open. Christmas Day there won't be such a lot of restaurants open. I've never been there on Christmas Day, but I've read on TripAdvisor that people had no trouble finding restaurants that weren't serving expensive fixed-menu dinners. I wouldn't want one of those anyway; apart from the cost, it would be entirely too much food for me. You might want to keep some fruit and such in your room for the evening meal.

Closer to the date, there are usually published lists of restaurants that are open on the various holidays. Many of them have links to menus. However you won't see these until sometime in November, maybe even later. You could probably even find something after you arrive in Rome.

Inspiredexplorer- I think it just all goes back to Germany. I'm afraid I'm trying to see too much, but I can't figure out what I want to cut. I generally do not like to move around a whole lot but I don't just want one city. I think flying might be the way to go, but I'm reluctant to pay for checking luggage. A month sounded like a lot of time before I started planning lol.

We have done the New Free Walking Tour in Rome twice. It meets every day at 5:30 at the Spanish Steps and is conducted in English. The tour lasts approximately 2 hours and is a great overview of Rome. Reservations are required. We tip 10 Euros each.

(I sadly decided Rome is just going to have to wait. There was just too much I wanted to see in the area. Venice, on the other hand, will hopefully be more fun without the summer crowds I've read so much about)

Does anyone have recs for budget lodging in Rothenburg ob Der Tauber? I am looking for no more than 150/nt. May be willing to go higher for something unique.

Also, I know it's a long shot- but has anyone stayed at any hostels in Munich? That's the only other place I need to book.